The industry began several years before the notorious "black-birding" era, during which people of the South Sea Islands were brought by trickery or by force to work the cane fields of Queensland.

An organisation called Blackbird, which helps re-unite decendants of the black-birding era, is driving a project to restore the Antonia A99 - the seemingly indestructible lugger that has survived many cyclones and has sunk three times.

Restoration project co-ordinator Mike Smith says when it is restored, the Antonia A99 will return to Torres Strait as a floating museum to help keep alive the stories of an important time in far north Queensland history.

"The culture of the lugger and what she represented, for all of the communities, particularly the Torres Strait communities, and the fact that realistically a lugger has not been up in the Torres Strait for a really, really long time," he said.

"It is really important at some stage to get Antonia back up there for that recognition of what she contributed to that community."

Significance to Islanders

Mr Smith says people came from all over the world to be part of the Torres Strait pearling boom with a significant number coming from the nearby South Sea Islands.

"When we did our research, we realised how many different cultures actually participated in the pearling industry," he said.

"Torres Strait Islanders, Japanese, Okinawan, Papua New Guinea, a lot of different cultures, but South Sea Islanders also played a part.

"In 1860 captain William Banner had 140 South Sea Islander crew from Vanuatu and from loyalties ... [they] started the pearl industry, by collecting a commercial quantity.

"50 tonne, worth about 7,500 pounds, which in today's money is probably over a million dollars, and it went from there."

Lugger restoration

Mr Smith says the Antonia A99 needs a bit of work, but they are about a third of the way through the restoration.

"So we are replacing her ribs at the moment, we have replaced some deck beams ... she needs a new engine, she needs new masts, but I'm hoping the way we do it this time she will well and truly out-live me," he said.

"With the sort of resources that we have got at the moment, we are hoping to have her done in 12 to 18 months."

Mr Smith says the lugger has a history of survival.

"She sunk I think three times that we can gather, but not by running in to a reef or a rock, it was an accidental turn off of a couple of bilge pumps in Townsville," he said.

"She sat through Cyclone Yasi and survived, and she will continue to survive."

Floating museum

Mr Smith says they hope to sail the lugger around the Torres Strait as a "floating museum".

"It is no use restoring her and having her sit in Cairns and expect people from the Torres Strait to come to Cairns just to have a look at her," he said.

"Our aim, our goal, is to actually have her floating, looking like a lugger, she will go to your community, you can get on board.

"The Torres Strait pearling lugger is an icon in Queensland, there used to be more than four or five hundred of them, now there is less than 20."